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Craniophora
malesiae sp. n.
Craniophora
fasciata Moore sensu Holloway, 1976: 13.
20-21 mm, 
21-22 mm. This species is slight larger than fasciata Moore ( = divisa
Moore and nigrostriata Pagenstecher) from the Indian subregion but
also identified from Java, Bali, Kei, Ambon and the Bismarck group (Squally I.).
It has a greater degree of sexual dimorphism in the hind- wing, that of the male
being more triangular, a warm bone colour, uniform except for a very diffuse
medial band and, in unworn specimens, strong dark lunules on the fringes. The
primary distinction is in the male genitalia: cornuti in the distal row (on a
lateral lobe) are three to five in number, long, separate; there are also two
separate ones basally, one triangular, one digitate. In fasciata only the distal
group is present, the cornuti more numerous, fused into a comb. Two other species occur in this fasciata
complex: one from New Guinea with an elongate vesica, the distal row of cornuti long, the
cornuti very short, not on a lateral lobe with, just basal to it, a coarsely
scobinate lobe another lobe bearing
two short, conical cornuti; one from Queensland (slide 14021) and New Caledonia (Holloway, 1979:
fig.98,as fasciata) with two short rows of small cornuti set centrally and at
three quarters on the vesica with the vesica distal to the latter coarsely scobinate.
Holotype
BRUNEI:
300m, Ulu Temburong rainforest, 30.6.79 (Lt. Col. G. Allen) BM noctuid
slide 13961.
Paratypes:
2
BRUNEI: 1618 m Bukit Retak, Montane forest (Lt. Col M.G. Allen) BM
noctuid slide 14041.
Geographical
range. N.E.
Himalaya, Borneo, Java (and probably throughout Sundaland), Sulawesi, New
Guinea, Bismarck Is.
Habitat
preference. Most
Bornean material has been taken in upper montane forest. One specimen was taken
in lowland dipterocarp forest.
Biology.
The larva of
this species or fasciata was illustrated by Sugi (1987). It is bright
pale green, with long black primary setae set on black pinacula; the black spots
paired dorsolaterally on A8 are larger than the rest, just enclosed by
converging yellow stripes that extend forwards from the claspers to anteriorly
on A8. The thorax tapers to the head that is laterally black, frontally
reticulated green.
Recorded
hosts (Miyata, 1983; Sugi, 1987; Bell, MS) for fasciata (or possibly malesiae)
are Olea, Ligustrum and Osmanthus (Oleaceae).
Bell
(MS) described a larva similar to that illustrated by Sugi. The larva on the
underside of young leaves of the host-plant and is generally sluggish,
resting with the head turned round on one side. Pupation is in an ovoid cell in
rotten wood, lined with silk that, with chewed wood particles, also blocks the
opening to the cell.
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